


Cracked Memories

by AdeLicky, AshtheAnimatrix



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fights, Flashbacks, Foreshadowing, Gen, Humor, Mystery, Redemption, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:15:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29135403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdeLicky/pseuds/AdeLicky, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshtheAnimatrix/pseuds/AshtheAnimatrix
Summary: Welcome to White Space.You have been here for as long as you can remember.Once you wake up in White Space, you remember your mission. The mission you've been given. Find the pictures. Find the missing pictures. Can you tell anyone about this? Should you be silent? One thing is clear, you have a mission, a purpose, and someone, out there, needs you to accomplish this mission. Else it wouldn't have been given to you.Maybe once you get a hold of those pictures, you'll remember who, what and how...?
Relationships: Aubrey/Sunny (OMORI), Hero/Mari (OMORI), Omori/Abbi (OMORI)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Cracked Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Little note before you start reading! 
> 
> This fanfiction is a completely different story than Omori, but reuse the same characters and the same location! Not that everything will be different, but it definitively won't be a retelling of Omori. I hope you all will appreciate this fanfiction! 
> 
> Lots of love and a good reading!
> 
> -Adé

_“Don’t worry."_

_A young girl tells a young boy who is curled up in her embrace. The boy looked utterly broken, like his whole world was shattered. His loose hospital gown was almost too big for him as the ends extended around him like a dress._

_"Everything is going to be okay."_

_The young girl strokes the boy's short black hair in a soothing manner, careful not to get her fingers caught in his bandages. Her black hair cascades to the side as she looks downward to the boy. Her pink outfit stands out against the dull whiteness of the walls. The unpleasant smell of disinfectants is ignored._

_"I promise no matter what happens I won’t ever leave your side."_

_The young boy lifts his head at the girl's proclamation. His dark brown eyes begin to shine a bit with small hope. He looks so broken and lost with no direction to go. Just the sight itself breaks the young girl's heart. How can anyone break someone so kind and selfless. The girl kisses his forehead, sealing her promise to him._

**_"I promise.”_ **

* * *

_ (Music – White Space - <https://youtu.be/wtVHR_1fS5k>) _

Welcome to White Space.

In a room of white a girl and a boy snuggled together in a thick blanket. The pitch-black futon with white cat patterns stands out from the empty white floor. A black cat curls up next to the boy on the blankets. A black laptop sat a few feet away from the futon. A black light bulb hangs above.

You've been here for as long as you remember

“Omori…Omori…”

A soft voice calls him from his slumber.

  
“Wake up, Omori.”

  
The boy named Omori slowly opens his eyes to see a girl staring directly at him from above. She had dark navy blue hair frames around her face and a big black question mark on her face, replacing a normally human expression. She had light red skin and tentacles for arms and legs, as well as two additional tentacles sticked on her skull where horns would be. Her only attire was a short white shirt that exposed her midriff and greyish black panties. A warm smile greeted him as his vision began to clear up. Omori groans as he sits up on his futon. His skin was completely white. His short black hair was a bit messy but still kempt. He wore a black tank top with white, black striped boxer shorts and black socks that went up to above his knees.  
  
The vast empty whiteness greeted his vision, blinding him for only a second. There were no walls in sight. He can feel the cool air greet his skin without the warmth of his blanket. He can feel his cat brush against him having also woken up from her slumber due to Abbi's calling and her master's stirring.

  
The girl, having moved out of the way smiles brightly at Omori. "Well, hello, sweetie! Did you sleep well?" Dull black eyes leers at her with annoyance which causes the girl to panic. "What?! You had to wake up sooner or later! Otherwise you'll waste away!"

  
The boy slowly shakes his head at her frantic state. He proceeds to make up his futon. Afterwards he turns back to the girl who was still panicking which causes him to sigh. Omori reaches up and pats the girl on the head which stuns her. The girl relaxes on his hand as a wide smile spreads on her face revealing small sharp teeth. Soft purrs escape from her throat as she leans into and relishes in the soft gesture.

  
After deeming the girl was calmed down Omori takes the hand off her head causing the girl to whine in disappointment. Omori sighs again. 'Why was this girl so needy?' He asks himself. "Why did you wake me up, Abbi?" The girl named Abbi stops her whining at the question. "Eh? You've been asleep for so long. We shouldn't be wasting our time laying around all the time. We should be doing something." Abbi states her reason. Omori didn't mind doing anything with Abbi; he just doesn't feel motivated to do anything unless someone helps him feel motivated. One of the things he's grateful to Abbi for is helping him find motivation to do something other than lay in bed all day or browse on his laptop. However sometimes she can be very annoying. and overreact when he doesn't comply.

  
"How about we go to the playground, today! We can meet up with Mari and Basil there. Come on, please?" Abbi pleads to Omori after noticing his absence of an answer. Omori thinks this over. It would be nice to see his sister Mari and best friend Basil again. A soft meow snaps him out of thought. He looks down to see Mewo staring at him as if to convey a message to him. Mewo would benefit going outside too. She could run around as she pleased. Even she gets tired of spending most of her time in an infinite space of white nothingness despite his master being present.

  
Having finally made his decision Omori heaves out a big cold sigh and turns his attention back to Abbi. "Sure." With that simple statement Abbi's expression brightens with a wide smile that reaches her ears with her sharp teeth now exposed. If her eyes were exposed Omori bets it would be sparkling like gems right now. "Yay!" Abbi pulls Omori into a big hug. "Thank you! I promise you won't regret it." After a few more seconds she pulls away giving Omori a chance to breathe again.

  
Omori grabs a black sketchpad at the side of his futon. He flips through many sketches of blacks and reds. Most of the illustrations show disturbing imagery. He stops at the middle where a knife was placed. The blade reflects the image of Omori. His black eyes staring back at him. Abbi leans into him, her image now present in the blade.

  
Having his knife in possession Omori closed his sketchbook. "Do you have everything you need?" Abbi asks to make sure Omori didn't miss anything important. Omori nods in reply. Abbi smiles at the gesture. "Alrighty! Time to visit Mari and Basil!" Abbi pumps her arms up in the air to show her excitement as she gets on her feet, or tentacles in this instance. She waits for Omori to get up from the cold ground before walking to the only door in the room with Mewo beside him.

  
  
A white door stands ominously a few feet across the black border line of the ever-expanding room. It casts a faint shadow on the steps. Abbi bounces a bit out of excitement while Omori remains calm as he reaches for the knob. Omori looks back one more time at the room. The black light catching his eyes the most. The string holding the bulb went up into the air with no ceiling in sight. Despite being pitch black you can still see through it as it shines brightly. "Omori?" He hears Abbi call his name in concern. Mewo stares at him showing concern for her master. Omori gives Abbi a thumbs up to signal he is okay. Although a bit reluctant this eases Abbi's worry. Turning back to the door Omori turns the doorknob and opens the door.  
_  
(Music – Spaces in-between -<https://youtu.be/ljAyy-dhAz0>)_

  
A long black hallway presents itself at the other side of the door. Multicolored stairs lead upward to a bright light. Closing the door behind him Omori, Abbi and Mewo walk up the stairs. The sounds of their footsteps echo throughout the empty hallway. It wasn't long until they finally reached the light at the end of the stairway.  
  
The smell of nature hits their nostrils the moment they step on the soft grass. Many trees greet their vision along with the sea of green grass. The indigo sky is littered with stars and strange debris. The forest was quiet aside from random whistles from a stray breeze. The tree the pair came out of stood tall and strong with a rainbow of colors cascading upward from the roots to the tips of the leaves and branches. A hole big enough to enter hollows the tree. A small wooden house sits on the branches atop of the tree.

  
Abbi stretches her arms above her head relishing in the soft breeze with Mewo following Abbi's example. Omori however simply looks around the forest, noticing if any little thing has changed since he was inside White Space. Nothing seems off so far. Feeling more at ease, Omori steps closer to Abbi and presses his right arm on Abbi's left arm. Understanding the signal Abbi happily takes Omori's hand in hers as well as morphs her tentacle into a hand to intertwine their fingers. Abbi looks down at Omori to make sure he was settled. "Ready to go onward?" Omori simply nods in reply. Omori glances at Mewo to check if she was okay. Sensing his stare Mewo looks up and lets out a soft meow. With everything in order Omori leads Abbi down south of the tree to their destination with Mewo following closely behind. 

  
It wasn't long until they reached the playground. Upon arrival they see multiple kids playing around; some were running around while others were simply lounging around or talking with a friend. A billboard stood at the entrance with a piece of paper taped to the wood. The paper had a drawing of a round purple monster with a circle backslash on top of it with big red bolded letters read 'No Boss Zone'.  
  
_(Music – By Your Side -<https://youtu.be/7GIWV__qx4M>)_

  
They quickly locate Mari and Basil at their usual spot with a picnic blanket already in place on the ground. A picnic basket sat in the middle with some candy on the side. A tall girl with long purple hair was talking with a short boy with messy green hair with a flower crown. The girl was wearing a navy sweater vest over a white button up shirt, a red ribbon, greyish brown pleated skirt that went to her knees, white knee-high socks and black dress shoes. The boy wore blue overall with shorts over a yellow polo shirt with a few buttons. They seem to be having a nice conversation. As if noticing their arrival, the two looks at the other pair approaching them. "Omori! Abbi!" The short boy called with excitement as he waved at them. The tall girl also waves at them but is calmer than her companion. "Hey, you two! glad you could make it." Once Mari notices Mewo following, she kneels and the cat sprints towards her, crashing in the girl’s arms before receiving frenetic caresses.

  
Abbi smiles brightly at the greeting as she and Omori reach the picnic spot. "Heya, Mari! Basil!" Omori simply waves at them, but his expression was much softer. If you look closely you would notice a small smile present on his paper white face along with a grayish blush sprinkled on both his cheeks. The two sits down on the blanket. Mari hugs Omori in a soft but close manner making Omori blush more but simply returns the hug. Mari lets go after a little while pass but stays close to Omori. Mewo jumps into Mari's laps snuggling into one of her favourite spots. Mari smiles down at Mewo as she pets the black cat." How have you two been doing?" Mari starts the conversation. 

  
Abbi answers Mari for both her and Omori. "We've been doing okay! Nothing but sleeping lately but I got Omori to get up!" Omori turns to the side away from the others. 'She didn't have to say that like it's an accomplishment. To Abbi it may as well be. Mari thought so too apparently as she reached over to pet Abbi on the head, being careful not to disturb Mewo on her lap. "Good job, Abbi. It must be hard to get him up but very much worth it. Omori just needs a little push to be motivated is all." Mari pets Omori next which causes Omori to pout as he keeps looking away. Basil seeing this decides to reassure Omori with a pat on the hand. "Don't worry, Omori. They only mean well. It's good to see you outside today." Omori responds with a tiny grumble that is almost impossible to hear unless you strain your ears.

  
Mari decides to change the topic for the sake of Omori. "While we were waiting for you two, Basil and I were going through his photo album! Did you wanna join us?" Abbi became delighted at the thought of seeing the photos again. "Yes, of course! I wanna see them!" The short red tentacles on the side of her hair wiggle with delight as well. Omori showed his delight in a more subtly way with his eyes lighting up a bit more as he nodded once to show his answer. Omori along with Mari and Abbi turn their attention onto Basil. "Did you want to show us your photo album now, Basil?" Mari asks to make sure not to overwhelm the flower boy. Basil became a little nervous at the attention directed at him but more than happy to show his friends his album if they wanted to. "Ah, okay... but it's nothing amazing." 

  
Abbi places a tentacle on Basil bringing his attention onto her. "Oh, Basil. You can't put yourself down like that." Abbi assures Basil "You always take such wonderful pictures. I'm sure they'll be great." Abbi's words seem to reach Basil as his expression becomes less tense with a soft smile on his face. "You're right, Abbi. Sorry... I'll try to believe in myself more." With his self-doubts cast aside Basil opens his photo album and places it on the ground in the middle of the group "Here! This way we can all see."

  
One the first two pages six photos in total with three on each side sat organized on the pages. A sentence or two were written next to each photo. The texts were neat and cursive. The first photo was of Omori and Abbi holding a flower crown in front of them. 'Mari is teaching everyone how to make flower crowds! Omori and Abbi are holding Mari's example. So pretty.'

  
The second photo was of Mari placing a flower crown on Basil with Abbi laughing behind. 'I got the hang of it really fast. Omori decided to take a picture of us. I was a little embarrassed.

  
The third photo was of Abbi and Omori working on their flower crowns. Abbi looks to be concentrating hard on her flower crown although she looked a bit frustrated while Omori was working on his with a small pout. Mewo was sleeping on the grass between them. 'Omori and Abbi are still working on their flower crowns. Omori got bored for a while but seeing Abbi working on hers seems to have motivated him. They seem to be getting the hang of it. They play off each other quite well.'

  
The fourth photo was of Omori eating a watermelon. 'Everyone is eating watermelons. So juicy! Omori has some seeds on his face but he looks like he's enjoying it. Maybe I shouldn't disturb him.'

  
The fifth photo was of Abbi wiping Omori's face with a small napkin. Omori looks a bit flustered while Abbi is smiling. 'Abbi is wiping the seeds from Omori's face. Omori is trying to squirm away from her but Abbi is holding him tight. Aw! They are so cute together!'

  
The sixth photo was of Omori and Basil sitting next to each other. Basil is holding a book in front of them. Omori looks very interested. Mewo was on Omori's lap also looking at Basil with little interest. 'Mari had Abbi take a picture of us. Everyone thinks a flower crown really suits me.'

  
The seventh photo is of Mari hugging Omori close to her. Mari looks happy as her cheek is pressed on Omori's while Omori looks flustered with a small blush as he looks away from Mari but hugging Mari back. 'Mari is hugging Omori! She looks so happy. Omori looks a bit annoyed but I can tell he's happy too. Mari and Omori are very close. Ah! The love between siblings...'

  
The eighth photo is of a group photo. Mari is holding the camera with a smile. Omori and Basil are sitting together on the blanket. Basil has Omori's arm in his as he waves. with a smile of his own. Omori simply waves lower than the rest. He wasn't smiling but you can tell he was having fun. Mewo was on Omori's lap staring at the camera. Abbi is kneeling behind Omori with one arm around Omori as she waves highly with the other. She had the widest smile out of the others. 'We're having a picnic today! Mari wanted to take a picture with everyone. Say cheese!'

  
The ninth photo looked peaceful. Omori was curled up on Abbi's lap with a peaceful look on his face as he slept. Abbi looks down on Omori with a soft smile. Mari appeared to be giggling as she rubs Omori's head. Mewo was sleeping on Mari's lap. 'Omori fell asleep. He looks so peaceful. I'm getting kind of sleepy myself.'

  
The tenth photo is of Abbi holding a camera with a wide-open mouthed smile exposing sharp teeth. Her head tentacles were lifted like dog's ears when startled. She looks very excited. 'Abbi took my camera and took a picture of herself. I usually don't let this happen but I'll let her have her fun. She looks so happy!'

  
The eleventh photo is of Omori standing in front of Abbi with a slightly stern expression. Abbi looks sheepish as she rubs the back of her head. 'Omori is scolding Abbi. Abbi still looks happy albeit a bit embarrassed. Don't be too hard on her, Omori.'

  
The twelfth and last photo was of everyone's feet in a circle. Abbi's red tentacle feet along with Omori's black sock clad feet were the most distinguished from the rest. Mewo sat in the center of the circle of feet. 'All of our feet are in a circle. Can you guess whose feet are whose?'

  
With all the photos viewed Abbi looks back up to Basil with a look of aw. "Wow! you really are insightful, Basil. These photos are so charming. You really know how to capture the moment, huh?" Abbi's compliment brought a blush on Basil's cheeks. "Thanks. I didn't take all of them though. Mari likes to steal my camera sometimes." Everyone turn to Mari who only shows a bright smile at being mentioned with no shame. "Only sometimes!" Omori lightly hits Mari on the head with his hand. "Bad Mari. No stealing." Mari can only laugh at the reprimand. It was so adorable when her little brother decided to be playful in his own way. "Sorry! Sorry! Big sister is sorry!" Mari giggles as she rubs her head where Omori hit her despite not being in pain in the slightest.

  
Basil and Abbi laugh at the sibling's playful banter, it was just too cute. An idea pops into Basil's head. "Hey, I have an idea! Did you all want to come to the flower field? The sprouts I planted are finally in bloom and wanted to show everyone. Come on! They're really cute!" Basil became excited just thinking about it and hoped his friends would agree. He didn't have to hope for everyone to become excited at the idea with Mari being the first to respond. "Sure, Basil! I would love to see them!" Abbi was also excited to see the sprouts. "Me too! I want to see them too. It sounds like fun! Let's go!" Lastly Omori simply replies with a nod. Basil grew even more ecstatic at his friend's answers. "Alright. If everyone is ready let's go." Everyone got up and prepared to leave for Basil's house, only waiting for Mari to pack up her picnic basket and fold up the blanket. Mewo was beside her looking a bit irritated with having been disturbed from her spot.  
  
_(Music – Let’s Get Together Now! -<https://youtu.be/GoWgI1V_WDA>)_

  
Once everyone was ready everyone began to head south of the playground to his house. "Hey, wait just a second! Where do y'all think you're going!?" A loud voice stops them in their tracks. They turn behind to see a girl younger than them quickly approach them with a large green monster with short black hair behind her with a much slower pace and loud stomps. The young girl places her hands on her hips and straightens her back trying to look intimidating despite being smaller than Omori and the rest of the group. "You can't leave without joining us for a game of hide-and-seek!" The big dinosaur-like monster finally catches up with his smaller companion. "Stay and play with us! The more the merrier!" Pleads the big dinosaur in a low kinder tone than his companion’s loud shrill command.

  
"You want to play hide-and-seek again, Berly?" Mari asks with a puzzled look. "Berly, you know how this turned-out last time, don't you remember." Abbi questions Berly carefully. She didn't mind playing with Berly and the other kids but last time they played hide-and-seek it didn't end well and some kids even got hurt. Abbi didn't want that to happen again. "Plus, we are just about to go to Basil's house. So maybe we can play another time." Mari tries to negotiate. Berly didn't seem to like this answer as her tail swishing side to side and her face became a bit red. "Wait! Please don't go! Are you trying to avoid me again!?"

  
The big dinosaur steps closer to Berly and places his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Is it my face? My rough-and-tough exterior?" Berly humphs out in anger. Mari kneels to Berly's height and places a hand on her head, being careful to avoid the aquamarine scuttles protruding from her head all the way to her tail. "Oh, Berly. No one is trying to avoid you. We do like you." Berly humphs as she turns away with a slight bluish blush on her cheeks.

  
"At least I'm not as bad as Boss! It's a good thing I banned him from the playground after what happened last time..." Berly states still looking away from Mari. "That's harsh don't you think?" Abbi interjects. "I know Boss can be a handle with his strength but you didn't have to kick him out. You could have talked to him about how rough he could be." Berly grumbles not liking what Abbi said. "Hey! I tried talking to that big brute but he never listens. I had no choice." Abbi still looked uneasy. "Still..." Berly looks around the playground as if searching for something. "I wonder what that moron is up to now?... eh... good riddance" 

  
"Maybe we can try talking to him if we see him again and help him understand. That way he'll know what he did was wrong and be more careful next time." Abbi offers to Berly. She didn't want Boss to be left out. She knew he could be a nice guy just a little too rough. Berly grumbles more not liking having to let Boss back into the playground but knows the older kids can maybe help resolve the situation. "Grr... fine... "Berly reluctantly agrees with Abbi's offer. Abbi feeling happy at the agreement pets Berly's head which caused Berly to blush and grumble more. "Okay! Stop! I'm not a baby!" She swats Abbi's hand away out of embarrassment. "So, are you gonna play with us or what!?" 

  
Mari turns to Basil and asks "Basil, it's your call. What do you want to do?" It seemed far for Basil to have the final say since they were going to his house. "I can go either way. There's no rush to get to my house after all." Basil answers. He turns to Omori who simply stood next to him having not said a word since Berly called them. "What about you, Omori? Do you want to play?" Hearing Basil ask Omori this question, Berly rushes to Omori to try and persuade him. "Omori, Omori! My best friend! Come on! You know how to play hide-and-seek, don't you?" Omori knew what Berly was trying to do but decided to play along. "Yes." Berly smirks at the answer. "Heh, that's what I thought! What's stopping ya, then? Come on, let's play!" Despite being bossy Berly respected the older kids for playing with them and resolving any situation the kids had in the playground. She wouldn't say it out loud but she enjoyed having them here. Omori huffs a sigh. He didn't want to play at the moment but he did want his friends to be happy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He may have fun with it. He didn't mind playing with the kids anyway. It was fun most of the time especially with his friends. "Sure. Let's play." 

  
Berly became ecstatic with his answer as she jumped around . "Great!" She lands on the big dinosaur's belly with a soft thud with the dinosaur making sure she is steady. "I'll go round everyone up!" Berly quickly gets off the dinosaur's soft stomach and rushes to gather the other kids. The big dinosaur turns to the other kids. "Thank you for playing with Berly." Mari smiles in return. "You're welcome, Van.'' Van blushes a bit as he scratches his belly. He was like a big teddy bear. 

  
It didn't take long for Berly to gather most of the kids especially when she mentions that the older kids would be joining them. However, some chose not to participate. Mari had placed Mewo on the ground under a shade in the trees for her to watch. Mewo didn't seem to mind. Once everyone assembled near the tetherball court Berly blew on her whistle to get everyone's attention onto her. Berly stands in front of the group asserting herself as the leader. "Alright, maggots! Here’s the rules!" Berly starts off with a commanding voice. "We're gonna be entertaining ourselves with a little game of hide-and-seek!" Berly pulls out a group of straws from her sky-blue sweater pockets. "Here in my hands I got some straws, see? Everyone here's gotta pick a straw. The one with the shortest straw's gonna be 'it' and will have to find everyone else. Sounds easy enough, right?" Berly begins to pass the straws to everyone.  
  
Omori looked down at the straw in his hand to see it was quite short. He looks to his right at Abbi next to her to see the straw in her hand is longer than his by a few centimeters. He looks to his left at Mari and Basil. Basil's straw was shorter than Abbi's but longer than Omori's while Mari’s looks to have a much longer straw than both his, Abbi's and Basil's. Omori had a bad feeling about this. 

  
After all the straws were given Berly goes around to check which one had the shortest straw. When she checks Omori’s straws a smirk grows on her face as if knowing who has the shortest straw now. This just confirms Omori's suspicions and he didn't like it at all. After checking on Abbi's who is the last one Berly goes back to the front of the group to announce the results. "Well, well, well! Looks like the one with the shortest straw is... Omori!" Yup. Omori was not happy with this. His friends look at him with the same uneasy look as if to share in his wallowing. "Omori is it? But he hates being alone." Abbi looks the most worried as she places a tentacle around Omori's shoulder for comfort. "Are you sure you're going to be okay, Omori?" asked Mari, also concerned for her little brother. "I can take your place if you want. I don't mind... really!" Basil suggests trying to ease his friend's subtle distress.

  
"Hey! I hear you plotting over there! The straws make the rules, not me! C'mon, don't be babies! It ain't so bad. Omori will be fine. He's a big kid isn't he?" Berly tries to reason with the group but Abbi didn't like how she tried to reason with Omori being okay with it. "Berly please be more considerate of how other people feel. Just because he is a 'big kid' doesn't mean they can't have fears." Berly looks down in guilt as she grumbles but before Abbi can continue any further, she felt a hand squeeze her tentacles. She looks down to see Omori staring at her with subtle determination. "I'll be okay." Abbi still felt unsure. She knew it would be helpful for Omori with his fear of being alone but she still felt the need to protect him. "Are you sure? Remember it's okay to admit if you can't handle it." Omori nods in answer, his determined look becoming more evident. This eases Abbi. "Alright then. If you say so." Berly chuckles at Omori's decision. "See? I told you he'll be fine!"

  
Berly walks to the tetherball pole. When you're ready to play, walk up to the tetherball pole and close your eyes. And no peeking! Or else!" Berly warns Omori not that it really did anything to intimidate him. He looks back to his friends one more time to see them encouraging him. "You can do this, Omori! I believe in you!" Abbi was the loudest in her encouragement. "You can do this, Omori. You'll be fine. Just believe in yourself!" Mari's were calm yet full of energy. "Don't worry, Omori. I know you'll be okay!" Basil's were slightly nervous but sincere just like the flower boy himself. All of them made Omori feel warm and happy that he had his friends with him. It gave him more strength and courage to overcome his anxieties.

 _  
(Music – Title -<https://youtu.be/9d9e6XmNn9Q>)  
  
  
_Omori walks up to the tetherball pole. He lays his arms crossed on the pole and places his head against them with his eyes closed as he begins to count down from 1 to 10.

  
At the count of ten Omori looks up to see the playground almost empty. He can hear the faint giggles and quiet shuffles around him. This eases Omori's anxiety; he wasn't completely alone. He let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding in. It wouldn't be so hard to find his friends and the kids. Omori begins to look around the playground from his spot but it didn't take long to spot Van's massive figure attempting to hide in a nearby bush. Sadly, the bush was very much tiny compared to the huge dinosaur himself. Strangely enough, he also notices something red poking behind his candy clad back. It didn't take Omori long to realize it was actually a tentacle appendage. A smile begins to grow on his face as he shakes his head. 'So that's where she's hiding. Silly girl.'

  
Omori walks over to the big being and taps his arm gaining his attention. "Oh! you found me." Van didn't look surprised in the slightest. A soft giggle can be heard from behind Van. 'Yup. She is definitely on his back.' Omori thought as he walked behind Van to find Abbi indeed on Van’s back. "You found me!!" Abbi giggles in glee. Omori held out his arms for Abbi to jump into which she took without a second of hesitation. After a small moment of hugging, she lets go with a finally squeeze. "Now I can help you find the others." 

_  
(Music – 100 Sunny -<https://youtu.be/10rFQMp9cjE>)_  
  
Abbi turns to Van who stares with a relaxed expression. "Thank you for letting me hide behind you, Van!" Van blushes a bit at Abbi's gratitude. "It was nothing. Turns out there's not many places to hide for a guy my size but it was still fun! As long as Berly is happy I'm happy." ‘Ah, the love of a sibling is truly precious. Speaking of siblings, I wonder where Mari is.' Omori looks around with his next goal in mind. Something in the far corner of the playground catches his mind. Behind a random tree, a red and white checkered blanket lay on the ground but the strange thing was there was a small lump in the middle of the blanket, with the black cat laying atop it. 'Seriously, sis?' Omori questions with a deadpan look on his face. Omori pulls on Abbi's arm a bit to gain her attention. "Hm? What is it, Omori?" Omori points to the location of the blanket. "Behind the tree." He states just in case Abbi misses it. "Oh! So that's where Mari is." Omori nods as he walks to the location with Abbi in hand. Van had already long ago walked back to the tether ball court to wait for the game to end.

  
When Omori and Abbi finally reach the location, the bump shakes slightly and a small laugh escape from within. Omori crouches on the ground and lifts one edge of the blanket enough to reveal Mari underneath with a big smile. "Hey, Omori! It seems you found me, Good job!" Abbi opens her arms and looks at Mewo, which promptly jumps into her squishy tentacles, before Omori helps Mari up from the ground and waits as Mari folds the drape back up into a square. "Alrighty! Ready to find the others?" Omori nods and continues to look for Basil and the other kids.

  
They found Bun and Nose behind the slide but they had given their location away due to Nose constantly calling out "Nose goes." Bun had scolded Nose a bit which caused Nose to be sad but a quick hug from Bun made him feel better again. "Oh... You know I can't stay mad at you. Let's go play patty cake!" The two went to join Van at the tetherball pole. Mari couldn't help but comment about how adorable Bun and Nose's relationship was. Omori silently agrees.

  
They find Mikal on top of a tree in the leaves. His bright blond hair contrasts heavily with the green foliage giving his location away. If the blond hair didn't give his location away, a loud snoring would. "Do you want me to get him down?" Abbi asks a bit concerned for Mikal's safety but Omori shakes his head and instead picks up a small rock and throws it at the monkey's head. This snaps the Mikal out of his nap albeit of a bit of a painful approach. "Huh?! Where am I?" Mikal asks in great confusion. "Omori, you didn't have to throw rocks at him. What if he had gotten hurt?" Mari questions Omori with disappointment. Omori shrugs his shoulders. Mikal wasn't hurt so it all ended well. Plus, Mikal was a heavy sleeper so sometimes a little force is necessary. Abbi tries yet fails to hide her chuckles behind a tentacle.

  
Mikal notices the group of three below on the ground. He lets out a disappointed sigh, gaining the group's attention. "I was dreaming that I was on a private beach with servants fanning me with palm tree leaves on every side... when suddenly... Wham! And now here I am!" It was no surprise Mikal had that kind of dream. " I must have fallen asleep while hiding... I guess that's a game over for me." With that said Mikal climbed down from the tree and went to the base with the others.

  
The group found Brows running around a short narrow tree with the same frantic pace. Brows didn't seem to notice the group until he ran into Omori's leg. This causes Brows to look up and scream loudly in a panic before running away.

  
They found Sharleen standing among a small bundle of trees in an attempt to blend in. Seeing she was found Sharleen simply stares at them until finally saying "Ah..." and simply left. 

  
Omori spots Bangs out in the open next to a hopscotch drawn on the ground. When Omori and the others approached him, he didn't even look surprised he was found. "Darn, you found me. I guess that means I lose..." Bangs said with a neutral look as always. "You know what Happy would say right now? She'd say something like 'Bangs, you should always try your best at everything! How else will people see how awesome you are?' " Happy and Bangs were an odd pair.

  
"Happy is right, Bangs! You are awesome! You should listen to her more." Mari encourages Bangs. Bangs blushed a bit with his mood lightening up a bit more. "...Next time, I guess." Bangs hops off to the base with a slightly happier tone.

  
Omori notices a jack-in-a-box next to two stranded trees. For some reason he had a feeling someone was hiding in there and he had an idea who would. Kneeling in front of the jack-in-the-box Omori turns the crank a few rounds. A soft short tune plays from the box. Right at the end of the tune Happy pops out of the box as she says, "Boing! It's me, Happy!" The small round creature just exudes positive energy unlike her counterpart. "You found me, so that means I gotta do something else now..." It didn't take long for Happy to think of something to do. "Oh, I know! I'm gonna count the alphabet backwards! Z... Y... X... W... V... U... O... M... Umm..." Not wanting to disturb her the group walked away to find the other kids with Mari silently wishing Happy luck.

  
The last person to find was Berly who was the hardest to find. Omori notices a straw sticking out of a small lump of dirt. Omori walks to the patch of dirt and pulls on it, causing Berly to pop up from the ground. Berly exhales loudly as well as spit out bits of dirt from her mouth. She turns to Omori looking slightly annoyed. "Took you guys long enough... I thought I was gonna suffocate in there!" A proud look takes place on her face as she stands more firm with hands on her hips. "How'd you like my hiding spot? Pretty good, eh?"

  
Berly looks around the playground to see most of the kids who were playing the game found. "It looks like you pretty much found everyone else too! Unexpected... but I like it!" Mari notices that Basil hasn’t been found yet. “Wait. We haven't found Bas-"

  
_(Music - By Your Side. -<https://youtu.be/7GIWV__qx4M>)_

  
"Let's do a final roll call!" Berly says as she blows on her whistle. "TEN HUT!"

  
Everyone assembles in two lines near the tetherball pole as Berly calls out each of their names to make sure no one is missing. "Van!" Van nods his head at being called. "Here as always, buddy." One down. "Sharleen!" Sharleen replies with a shy hesitant "...H-here..." Two down. "Mikal!" As if by being called the snores of Mikal became louder. Berly took great offense to this as she walked up to Mikal and kicked him in the shins waking up the monkey with pain. "Ow! What gives!?" Mikal hops around in place to get rid of the pain. Berly didn't answer as she went on to the next person. "Happy!" Happy replied with a loud and energetic "Here, here!" "Brows!" Brows on the other hand screams at being startled from his name being called and runs away from the group. Despite being a normal occurrence, the group can't help but be a little weirded out and concerned for their small friend. "Bangs!" Bangs let out a dull "...here..." "Bun!" "Bun is here!" "Nose!" "Nose goes!" "Mari!" "Present!" Mari answers with a charming bright smile that made her look pure. "Abbi!" "I'm here~!" Abbi stood out in a happy tone. Abbi's smile although not as bright as Mari's still held an air of cuteness. "Omori!" Not being expressive as the other two Omori answers with a simple "Present."

  
Berly was about to call out Basil's name when she noticed he wasn't among the group. "Huh? Where's Basil?" Everyone notices Basil's absence. "That's what I was wondering." Mari says more worried than before. "I thought I saw him hide in that tree over there." Abbi suggests as she points to a tree behind them nearby the northern entrance of the playground. Everyone turns to the tree. "Basil? Are you okay? You can come out now." Abbi calls from her spot. As if to answer her call the tree began to rattle. 

  
"There he is." Mari says. "Basil are you okay? Are you stuck?" Abbi asks. Something was definitely wrong. Basil would have answered being called. Him being silent was not like him unless he was distressed.

  
Omori walks towards the tree with caution with Abbi and Mari behind him. Even if Basil was behind the tree there was still something wrong with the atmosphere. "Basil?" Omori calls out to whoever was behind the tree. The tree peels off to the ground to reveal Basil being held in the arm of a huge round dark lavender individual with stumps for hands and feet. He had a horn where his nose should be and a shorter one at the top of his head. He wore blue overalls that went to his stumps. He had entirely yellow eyes and red lips pulled into a snarl exposing his teeth. He appeared to be strong with his large size but held Basil in a way not to crush him. This big brute was Boss; the same Boss that was banned from the playground.  
  
_(Music – Trouble Brewing -<https://youtu.be/AO4-wj6WLO4>)_

  
"Hwehwehwehwehwe!!" Boss lets out a loud cackle at being caught. "Boss! I should've known it was you! You good-nothing-scoundrel. Let Basil go!" Berly yells at Boss not showing any fear. "Yeah! What did Basil ever do to you!?" Abbi questions Boss readying herself just in case Boss tries to hurt anyone. "Boss, whatever is going on you need to stop this and let Basil go right now. He didn't do anything wrong." Mari scolds Boss trying to keep the situation from escalating. 

  
Boss only laughs harder as if they said something funny. "You stupidheads! You think this is about Basil?" His face contorts into anger as he continues to speak. "Don't play dumb! You know why I’m here! How dare you not invite me to hide-and-seek!" He questions the group of kids. "I'm the one who showed you all how to play in the first place! You're not even playing it right! How can you call it hide-and-seek without any body-slamming!?" Boss jumps to show his anger but by doing so Basil's flower crown fall off from his head. "My flower crown!" Basil appeared to be physically okay but was visibly distressed with tears streaming from his face.

  
Abbi becomes angry at the action. "Hey! We made that flower crown for Basil, Boss! How could you?!" Mari also became angry but still remained calm. "Boss, stop this at once!" Omori became irked seeing his friend's discomfort. Seeing Boss won't listen to them, Omori pulls out a knife from his boxer pockets but hides it behind his back so as to not provoke Boss but be ready just in case the conflict becomes physical which he was sure it will. "Let go of Basil now, Boss." Omori threatens in a low but imitating voice.

_  
(Music – Push and Shove - <https://youtu.be/tnyNKmndmRg>)  
  
_

Just as predicted, Boss refuses to comply. "No! If I can't play with everyone, then no one can! This is a Boss-only zone now..." Boss readies himself to attack the group. "AND YOU'RE NOT INVITED!!" Boss charges at them with Basil still in his arms. Mari moves to protect the children who were visibly frightened including Berly who still tries to keep a tough act. She pulls out a large hammer from her pockets and readies herself just in case she needs to attack. Abbi quickly moves in front of Boss and extends her tentacles and wraps them around Boss' body to stop Boss in his tracks without hurting Basil. Boss attempts to use his brute strength to get out of her grasp but Abbi tightens her hold on Boss to make sure he can't escape. Omori rushes to Abbi's aid and slashes Boss' back with his knife. Boss grunts in pain as he turns his attention to Omori.

  
Seeing that Boss' attention was away from the kids Mari instructs the kids to go somewhere safe. Once everyone went to a safe distance, she hurried to help Omori and Abbi. Boss finally gets loose from Abbi's grip and charges at Omori who dodges to the side and slashes his free arm. Despite feeling pain Boss laughs it off as if it was nothing. "You weaklings! You call that an attack?" Mari comes behind Boss and hits him in the back with a swing. This was followed by Omori and Abbi. The three attack all at once with slashes, slaps and hits. This slows Boss down a bit but he still stands strong. Boss laughs tauntingly at the three as he manages to push Abbi away at Omori making the two tumble down on the ground with twin grunts of pain. Mari looks back in panic which gave Boss enough time to push her too. 

  
This went on for a few minutes with Boss using his strength to push Omori, Abbi and Mari away. Mari realizes that they were not getting anywhere close to resolving the situation. They need a plan. "Guys! We aren't getting anywhere with this. "Abbi and Omori both agree as they notice they are getting a bit tired while Boss looks like he barely broke a sweat. Abbi and Omori huddle together with Mari to hear her. "Any plans?" Omori asks. Mari nods her head as she looks at Abbi first. "I do. Abbi, I need you to be a distraction. You can use your tentacles at long range so I want you to restrain him or slap him to turn your attention to you." She looks at Omori next. "Omori, you are going to use the distraction to sneak behind him and attack. You're better at stealth than all of us. Any opening you see take it but be careful. I'm going to join you in getting a hit on Boss. With this we can hopefully wear him down to let Basil go. Are we in agreement?" Both Abbi and Omori nod in affirmation. "Good, now let's start!"

  
They proceed with the plan with Abbi distracting Boss either by slapping him or restraining him. Omori used that distraction to attack Boss behind or at the sides with Mari dealing damage with her hits on Boss. The plan began to show results with Boss showing a bit of exhaustion as well as his mood becoming ruined as his cocky smile was replaced with a frown. "Hey, that kinda hurt! Hmph! This isn't fun anymore." The fight continued for a few more minutes with more results. The group of three were appearing to win the fight now unfortunately Boss grew angrier with each hit. "Grr... Now you've made me angry... It's time for my special move!" Omori, Mari and Abbi prepare for what Boss was about to do. "BODY SLAM!!!" With a yell Boss jumps and slams onto the ground creating a giant shockwave that travelled towards the group quickly. The three didn't have time to dodge or guard as the shockwave hit them. The attack was too much for Abbi and Mari as they turned into toast, Omori however was left kneeling on the ground with his colouring inverted. A soft steady beeping can be heard coming from him. Omori gets back on his feet with closed eyes and a calm demeanour as if he was meditating. Omori did not succumb.

  
Boss stood confused as to why Omori was not turned into bread. "Huh!? HOW ARE YOU STILL MOVING!?" Boss screams with rage as to why Omori remained. Omori did not answer him as he held out his blade. Boss blinded by rage, ran towards Omori but Omori remained calm. When Boss reached Omori he felt a sharp pain in his chest. In confusion he looks down to see a knife embedded in his chest held by Omori who stares at him with sharp cold eyes. "Ow..." Boss whimpers in pain as Omori pulls the knife from his chest.

 _  
(Music – How’d We Do? -<https://youtu.be/L1Vuc1-9fh8>)_  
  
  
Omori felt his energy come back to him and a little more as if he had gotten stronger from this fight. He also felt his pocket get a bit heavy. He'll have to check that later. Abbi and Mari revert to normal from their toast forms but still appear exhausted. He walks up to them to make sure both were okay. Abbi gives Omori a big hug. "You did it, Omori!" Mari patted his head gently. "Great job, Omori."  
  
_(Music – Let’s Get Together Now! -<https://youtu.be/GoWgI1V_WDA>)  
_  
Omori blushes slightly with a small smile being happy Mari and Abbi were okay. The three look back at Boss who stands in place looking a bit scared and shameful. He lets go of Basil who looked unharmed. "This isn't fair!" Boss yells having a temper tantrum from losing. "Rematch! I want a rematch!" Omori walks up to Boss and flicks him on the arm. "Dummy." Omori tells Boss.

  
Abbi picks up the flower crown from the ground making sure it wasn't ruined. After checking she places it back around Basil's head then gives him a soft hug. "Basil are you okay?" Basil returns the hug. "Ah, don't worry about me. I'm just fine." Basil answers with a reassuring smile despite having remaining tears at the corners of his eyes. Omori hands Basil a napkin to wipe the tears away which Basil takes in appreciation. "Thanks." After Basil wipes his eyes of any excess tears. he turns to Boss. "Boss... It must hurt to see people have fun without you but that doesn't mean you can ruin other people's fun." Boss looked down shamefully for a few seconds. "Hmph! I know that!" Basil takes off the No-Boss paper from the billboard. "There. Does that feel better?" Basil offers with a smile. 

  
"Basil, what are you doing!?" Berly asks dumbfounded. She along with the rest of the kids had walked back to the area when they noticed they had stopped Boss. Berly did not look happy having the paper taken down. "Why did you take that down!? He's a menace to this playground!" Before Basil can reply Mari signals that she can handle talking to Berly and kneels in front of her. "Berly, I know Boss must have been rough with you guys but have you tried explaining to him why you didn't like it?" Berly opens her mouth to answer but no words escape as she closes her mouth and looks down sheepishly. She only grumbles as her tail swishes back and forth. The other kids also turn away with slight shame. "Can you give Boss another chance? He's learned his lesson now."

  
"I don't know... He might end up being a brute again." Basil decides to step into the conversation. "Actually, when you all were fighting, he tried really hard to make sure I didn't get hurt." "Is that true, Boss?" Abbi asks. Boss blushes at the question and the attention. He quickly turns around facing away from the group. "Humph... That's a load of baloney. I don't need to hear these lies." He turns back around to see everyone still staring at him

  
Before Boss went to grab the tree sticker, Omori pulled it away from his reach startling Boss. Omori reaches inside his pockets and pulls out a piece of white square sticker with a pink heart in the centre. He places the sticker on Boss covering the stab wound. "Huh?" Boss was confused as to why Omori did that. His only answer was Omori rubs his arm in a soothing manner. He then pulls Boss with him to the other kid with Boss shyly following him.

  
"See? Boss has learnt his lesson. He won't be rough anymore." Mari says. It took awhile but Berly relents with a sigh. "Fine... but if he goes back to being a brute he's out!" Berly turns her attention to Boss. "Come on, Boss, you better behave this time or you'll get kicked out again!" Boss was astounded that the other kids were willing to give him another chance with the persuasion of the older kids. He shyly approaches Berly who turns around to lead the kids to play another game. He turns back to the older kids with a quiet "Thank you." before turning forward and following the other kids.

  
Omori and the others wave back at the retreating kids. with smiles on their faces. "Well Boss shouldn't be a problem anymore now." Abbi says. Mari replies with "Mm-hm." Aloud meow brings their attention to Mewo who is rubbing herself on Omori's leg. Omori kneels to pet the feline with a small smile on his face. Abbi turns to Basil. "Shall we go now?" She questions him with enthusiasm. "Yup! Let's get going!" With that the group head south out of the playground to Basil's garden.

 _  
(Music – Trees… - <https://youtu.be/n_Dxix0lvDM>)  
  
  
_It took a while but the group of four made it to the flower patch. A rainbow of colours scatters across the large field from reds to blues to pinks even greens almost all of the colours were present. It was truly a beautiful sight to see. "Wow, Basil! This flower is prettier than before" Mari says in awe. Basil giggled at the compliment. "Thank you. Come on. Let me show you the flowers." 

  
The group walked along the dirt path being careful not to trample any flowers. Basil stopped at a group of flowers that stood around the same height as Mari. The stems were thick and green. The bright yellow petals surrounded the big centre full of black seeds. "These are sunflowers. They're called that because they always face the sun. That's how I want to be like, someone who always sees the bright side of things." Abbi pats Basil's back with a smile. "Don't worry, Basil. You always bring a positive energy wherever you go. You make us happy being around you." Basil blushes at the compliment. "Thank you, Abbi. I really appreciate it."

  
The next patch of flowers Basil brought them to had droopy stems with tiny white bulbs attached. They reminded the group of tiny bells on strings. "These flowers are called lily of the valley. It's said that they're able to ward off evil spirits and help people see a brighter future. I guess that's why they remind me of Mari. I can always count on her to help me stay positive!" Mari seems to glow at the description. "Aw, Basil! Thank you!" She gives Basil a big hug. Basil returns the hug in a much gentler manner.

  
The third patch to show were short bright flowers with many petals and golden yellow centre. They varied in colours of lavender, pink, red and white. "These are called asters. They are named due to their resemblance to stars. They come in many colours and have many meanings. The lavender ones represent wisdom and royalty, the white ones represent purity and innocence, the red ones represent undying devotion and the pink ones represent sensitivity and love. Abbi is like all these flowers but I think the lavender and pink ones suit her best. She's always overflowing with wisdom and is always there for her friends when you need her and would never betray them." Abbi jumps in glee at her flower. "Wow! really?! Thank you, Basil!" Omori tries to calm her down by holding her hand.

  
Before they could go to the next patch something was blocking their path. A large brown bulb-like creature stood over them in the middle of a flower patch. They had wrinkly skin with two long greyish-green leaves on the point of their head. They also had two long leaves for a moustache. Their eyes were closed with wrinkles surrounding them showing kindness to all. The creature was also surrounded with three smaller younger versions of themselves with shorter thin stems of leaves and dots for eyes. They were more active as they jumped and fluttered around in the flowers. 

  
They appear to do mean any harm but they were crushing the flowers below their bodies and stubby feet. "Oh no! Those sprout moles are crushing the flowers!" Basil cries in distress. Mari pats him on the back to ease his grievance. "Don't worry, Basil. We'll get them to move." Abbi seemed to have the same idea as she walked to the sprout mole group being careful not to crush the majority of flowers. Abbi gains the big sprout moles attention by poking they're back. "Hm?" A low sound escapes from the big sprout mole as he turns to Abbi.  
  
_(Music – A Home For Flowers (Tulip) -<https://youtu.be/u2xW23u4qEY>)_  
  
"Excuse me, Ye Old Sprout. Can you please kindly move off the flowers? One of my friends planted these and he really doesn't like that you are on them." 

  
"Hey! You can't talk to Ye Old Sprout like that! We can be here if we want to!" A young sprout mole yells at Abbi trying to pick a fight with Abbi prompting Omori to reach for his knife. Luckily, the elder sprout mole stops the angry sprout mole in their tracks. "Drake, please do not yell at others. We were clearly trespassing." Drake tries to refute the elder but one sharp look and a stern call of their name caused them to remain silent. The elder uses one of its large leaves to pat Drake to show no ill will.

  
"Oh dear. Forgive me young ones." Ye Old Sprout apologizes in a kind voice. "The young sprouts and I were having so much fun in the forest that we didn't think to be careful with the flowers." He looks down at a sprout mole who seems shy. "This little sprout, Oliver, is not in the best of spirits so I decided to play with him to lift his spirits. It seems to be doing well." Ye Old Sprout turns around to the three young sprouts. "Come along, young ones. Let's go play somewhere else." The sprouts hop away deep into the forest. One of them looks back at Abbi and the others before turning back to catch up with the others.

  
"Thank you, Abbi for getting them to leave." Basil says. "It's no problem at all." Abbi waves her tentacle dismissively. She hopes those sprout moles will be okay. she felt Omori grab her hand as well as stare at her causing her to smile with a blush. The group continue to walk to the next patch.

  
The final patch were bright white cup-shaped flowers that stood straight from the ground. with long narrow dark green leaves. "These are white tulips. They aren't very flashy plants but very comfortable. They remind me of Omori. Every time I'm with him I feel at ease just like these white tulips. Both are simple, modest and comforting." Omori blushed at the description. It meant a lot to him that Basil thought of him that way.

  
Something caught Omori's eye in the middle of the white tulip patch. Being careful to not crush the flowers, Omori stroll through the patch to reach the object. The object appears to be a photo. 'Did Basil lose it?' Omori questions in his head. The photo was face down so he didn't know what the photo was. Omori grabs the photo. He turns the photo. His eyes grew wide.

  
(Music – It’s Okay To Try Again… - <https://youtu.be/_pVm9PozysI>)  
  


It was a picture of a black cat in front of a window on top of a shelf. Its eyes staring back at Omori.

  
Everything went dark.

**_  
Time to wake up, Sunny._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Let us know how we did in the comments. This was very fun to work on. We hope to see you in the next chapter.
> 
> See you later!~
> 
> -Ash


End file.
